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The Engadget Global Score is a unique ranking of products based on extensive independent research and analysis by our expert editorial and research teams. The Global Score is arrived at only after curating hundreds, sometimes thousands of weighted data points (such as critic and user reviews).

Easily the most advanced portable gaming device to date

Sony's latest contender is a little late to the game: It arrives nearly a year after the Nintendo 3DS. Still, the Vita is technically the stronger product. Sony's new portable outclasses the 3DS not only in graphical output, but also in touchscreen technology, controls, button layout, user interface design and, perhaps most importantly, game selection at launch. So is that enough for it to pull ahead of the competition? We can't be sure.

We will say, however, that the PlayStation Vita triumphs where it counts. It has its hiccups, sure, but web browsers can be updated, as can the PS3's remote play limitations. Still, no amount of software updates can undo the disappointing battery life. Without performance-enhancing peripherals, the PlayStation Vita won't be getting you through long flights or cross-country road trips. For gamers spoiled by the endurance of the original PSP and DS systems, it's a tough sell. In fact, the WiFi edition's $250 price tag might give gamers burned by the 3DS' price drop pause, to say nothing of the $50 premium they'll pay for the 3G model. Still, it's hard to shake the Vita's siren call: Adopt early, it says, I'm worth it. As seductive as that call from the souped-up PSP successor is, its real song is its games -- if none of them resonate for you, you'd better stay bound to your mast through these Uncharted waters.

Sony's new portable eclipses Nintendo's latest on more battlefields than ever before, outclassing it not only in graphical output, but in touchscreen technology, controls and button layout, user interface design and, perhaps most importantly, game selection at launch.

Overall, the PlayStation Vita is the most advanced portable gaming system ever made. While the price is deceiving because of a hidden cost, gamers are getting an impressively complete package right out of the gate.

While there is still more work to be done to make the Vita all that it can be, this is a much more impressive start than I had expected. In terms of ethos and delivery Sony have come a long way since the PSP launched back in 2005.

With both phones and laptops creeping up on the traditional turf of the computer, the Vita feels uncomfortably without a place that makes sense, falling short of either side—it's not out-phoning your phone or out-consoling your console.

I want to love this device and I suspect a dedicated gamer will find it far superior to any other device, the Nintendo 3DS included. But I feel this will be the last iteration of the “dedicated gaming” handheld we see.

Why buy a Vita in what’s quickly become a smartphone/tablet world? Because you want to play serious, console-style games (with console-style controls) on the go. That’s the Vita’s exclusive promise at launch, anyway.

Right now, the PS Vita is an amazing piece of hardware with an impressive launch lineup and software that hints toward a bright future, but until Sony addresses concerns about the price, it is destined to appeal to only a niche audience.

PlayStation Vita excels with its excellent graphics, a superb 5in screen, dual-analogue and touch screen controls and a host of other goodies. The PlayStation Vita narrows the gap between console and handheld, and reminds you why a dedicated mobile gaming device is a good idea.

Most handhelds have had to offer altogether different types of experiences than you find on the traditional consoles, but the Vita takes the opposite approach, striving to take what works on the PS3 and make it work in a smaller, portable format.

The most stunning part about the Vita is the OS. Sony did an absolutely amazing job with this unit, from A-Z. I like how everything responds and interacts, like moving through pages of home screens, how the Sony Store interacts, and the intuitive interaction of Firmware and Software updates....

This has got to be the best portable, after the GBA. Some ideas: 1. External UMD Drive, for us with the good-ol' PSP. 2. External battery. Let's face it, the battery's tiny. 3. External camera. We need something at least 5MP. 6. Cheaper games and memory cards. 7. TV-Out, maybe? Or speakers?...

So I finally took the plunge and bought a Vita. The launch titles aren't the greatest in the world but there's enough goodness there to keep me interest while more games start coming in. I hate the nickels and dimming you'll have to do right off the bat: 8Gb Memory card or higher... They're not...

I bought it few days ago. It great console with truly awesome graphics only thing it lacks is games.
seriously very very few games, it is like the least bought and least popular product, even the fake copy of console have more games